HP Lovecraft

Rhode Island has a storied haunted history, from Mercy Brown, the 19th century "vampire" in Exeter, to H.P. Lovecraft, the author of weird and spooky tales who called Providence home. The new "Guidebook to Haunted and Strange Places in Rhode Island" is out just in time for Halloween,

As a 10-year-old child, Howard Phillips Lovecraft would tuck himself into his grandfather’s library and read. Lovecraft’s father had gone mad and his mother eventually would too, making his wealthy grandfather – and all of those books –the center of Lovecraft’s world. Then his world fell apart. Lovecraft’s grandfather died and the estate was badly managed, wiping away his comfortable life in Providence. To earn much needed income Lovecraft, at 13-years-old, carefully crafted astronomy pamphlets and sold them, essentially starting his career as a published writer.

Providence Business News Editor Mark Murphy joins Rhode Island Public Radio's Dave Fallon for a weekly business segment we're calling "The Bottom Line." Each Friday they look at business news and themes that affect local business and the public.

This week Dave and Mark talk with Kristin McGrath, VP of Sales with the Providence/Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau. Their discussion centers on Providence as an increasingly popular destination for conventions and festivals, like the gathering of HP Lovecraft fans taking place this weekend.